Carnival Begins 5-Month Countdown to Official Opening of ‘Celebration Key’ Resort

Carnival Cruise Line has begun a 5-month countdown to the official opening of its new luxury Celebration Key exclusive resort in the Bahamas.

Carnival Corporation CEO Josh Weinstein; Carnival Cruise Line President Christine Duffy; and Chief Maritime Officer Lars Ljoen embarked on a project update mission last week as the construction enters its final phases.

Celebration Key is set to open on July 19.

“Celebration Key represents a new chapter for Carnival and its construction builds on our close partnership with The Bahamas, so seeing it transform from vision to reality is incredible,” said Christine Duffy. “We broke ground on this site less than three years ago, and now in five short months we’ll see our first guests enjoy the many experiences we created just for them to celebrate and enjoy this gorgeous place on Grand Bahama.”

About 500 workers are on site daily as construction continues round-the-clock to prepare the destination for its summer opening, when Carnival Vista will make the inaugural call on July 19. Celebration Key will deliver Carnival’s signature brand of fun while honoring local heritage and supporting Grand Bahama through job creation and economic development. To date, 28 Bahamian companies have contributed to the project.

“This destination will serve as a tribute to the rich Bahamian culture and Grand Bahama’s natural environment,” said Josh Weinstein. “It’s clear Celebration Key will be a game-changer for our flagship brand and its loyal guests, with endless options for relaxation and recreation, but it’s also truly great to see firsthand how we’re implementing our company’s robust sustainability initiatives on land.”

During their tour, the Carnival leaders joined team members planting palm trees from the “Plant a Tree” community engagement programme launched last year as part of a broad preservation initiative that has involved replanting thousands of native trees across the property.

About 1,000 sabal palms were saved and replanted across the property. Ms Duffy also participated in the ceremonial filling of one of two expansive freshwater lagoons, the largest in the Caribbean, that will be sustained by Celebration Key’s desalination system that converts seawater into freshwater. The lagoons span over seven acres and hold about seven million gallons of water.

They also marked milestones in construction progress across the expansive beachfront destination and highlighted Celebration Key’s sustainability commitment. In a nod to the maritime tradition of a keel laying for a new ship, they placed commemorative keys into Celebration Key’s signature Suncastle, the centerpiece of the destination’s five portals.